


The Minstrel In The Gallery

by galileanTactician



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 07:16:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16908552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galileanTactician/pseuds/galileanTactician
Summary: A lowblooded piper plays his tune, as all gather to listen.Of Troll and Fiend is collected about as the wavering windfife glistens.The Violet drew ire, was consumed by fire.And all were deaf of his lesson.





	1. Aqualung

"Putrid Bilge Breather!" an anonymous highblooded officer had furiously exclaimed, while proceeding to punch me in the face for the fourth time in a row. "You're lucky enough to be within the good graces of the Heir and his patrons as to not warrant me snuffing out your miserable life right here! I didn't know what to say, either because I was both polarized by earlier events or still dazed from being dragged away from within the gallery by an unknown someone while the entire place burnt down, or maybe it was from being in shock from being punched repeatedly in the face. It had been mere Ticks after the mass arson at Kabuto Amphitheater and Modern Art Galleria when I was dragged into a police department for interrogation. Needing not a single reason to not to grab the nearest Violet Blood to forcibly beat information out of, they had pulled me out and brought me to my chair and question every grub dropping of information from me. Of course, as I previously stated, wasn't the most cooperative soul during my stay. Well...um... until they dumped a bucket of what I pray to this day is purple Cruel-Aid did I finally speak. "SIRYMN!" He pulled a spotlight onto my stained face. "What did you just say boy?" "MY NAME! I SAID MY NAME! MY NAME IS NEROPH SIRYMN!" The officer leaned over the table we sat across. "I don't give a damn about your name filthy chumbucket, what I want to know is what the fuck were you doing in that area, at that time, within an Aqualung restricted area!" Quietly moaning, I responded to his query. “I was performing there." The officer scoffed, “An Aqualung such as yourself performing at such a prestigious location such as the Kabuto? That's a stinking' pile of Hoofbeast dung." "How do I not know you were one of the conspirators that caused the fire?" "I wasn't! I swear!" He punched me a fifth time and shouted "Shut it! I know your kind! You're all hateful little blights who want nothing more than to watch the world we Crimsons have made for ourselves burn to the ground like that theater did!" He slumped back down in his chair, "And I'm willing to bet that you were the ringleader for this whole thing, weren't you?" I denied his accusations over and over, throwing in the "I’m innocent’s and the "it wasn't me!’s" but to no avail, the guy just wouldn't budge from his stance. Continuing to deny him only made him more furious, and he had almost got around to punching me again until someone burst in with a large, scraggly troll in handcuffs. "Hey, are you the chief of this station?" she asked. "Who's asking?" He replied with twinge of tasteless crass emanating from his very voice. She threw her captive to the ground and exclaimed, "Well first and foremost" she retorted with an apparent air of confidence to her "I’m the one who caught your perp nookwhiff." The cuffed troll had begun to crawl briefly, but to no avail as she pounded her boot on his haunches, revealing the golden sign on her undershirt "And secondly, shut up, because that is no way to speak to your spectrum superior." Almost immediately the officer who laid blows upon me had begun to tremble slightly and had lost any semblance of arrogance and had mellowed down. Witnessing her sign and seeing the officer's reaction cause me to silently panic where I sat as I knew then and there I was in the vicinity Highblood Autocrat, one that could end my life if I so much as flinched in fear. "M-M-My mistake your Honorable Regency, I had simply seen this Aqualung while was on patrol outside and I naturally assumed that they were responsible for the mess." he pleaded. "You can leave him alone, because this SORRY EXCUSE FOR A TERRORIST, she said while kicking him in the bellow sacs before continuing, “had decided within the rusted excuse of a processor that is his subpar thinkpan, that directly attacking me, and my companions was a grand idea." "A yes, how utterly urm... Foolish of him" The officer muttered. She turned to me and I could feel every cranny of my inners cramp and freeze in fear. I was surely convinced that this was the end of the road for the out of control thunderbuggy that was my life. "This is it Sirymn! You had a good run. Barely got beat up at all! Ok well not really, but you still had somewhat of a decent life, right? What happens, happens, and then you move on!" I had thought to myself, sure that I would not survive what she would do next. As I prepared my entire being for the bitter sting of death about to consume me, she pointed towards me... "Let him go." the gold blood declared, much to the officer's confusion. "The Aqualung?" He stammered "B-B-B-But he is but a mere peasant! “Why on glorious Alternia would you-" "NOW" the goldblood shouted, prompting the officer to rush over to undo my handcuffs. Muttering various obscenities before unlocking them he removed them and said to me as he did "You're lucky that I’m in the presence of a superior, otherwise you wouldn't have survived another Tick. I gulped down and slowly got up, as he placed the other troll in the seat, preparing for interrogation. "Come on Violet, we're leaving." the goldblood said. Puzzled as to what she meant, I asked, "Wait, I'm going with you? To where? "Out of, and away from this Podunk block." "Why do you want me to come with you?" "You'll see ok? Quit asking questions and get outside, my scuttlebuggy is waiting." "...o-ok..." I was in no position to resist, she had offered me a second chance, and I was going to take it. She leads me outside onto the streets, wherein the parking lot was indeed her scuttlebuggy, warmed up and running. The rain had just begun to pour then, and still found myself questioning the position is was in. When we got to the buggy, she opened the door and removed her jacket. "I bet you're wondering why I singled you out back there." she asked, scooting into the driver's side. "Yes, actually.” "Figures, it's not every day that a lowblood like you is spared by a Highblood like me." As she buckled her catch release, she glanced back and said, "Are you gonna to get in?" I nodded before dusting off my raggedy scarf, sitting down, and closing the door behind me. "I'm sorry it's just... I'm so taken aback by your generosity and all." "Yeah, that's not a thing golds are known for." Shifting gears and stepping on the pedal, she drove me out of the office parking lot, and we hit the road. As I left I could make out the officer who had cuffed me ruthlessly engaging the lad in the seat, before he threw him to the reinforced window as purple blood spattered everywhere on to the glass. That could have been me, yet it wasn’t, and while I felt guilt for the purpleblood being assaulted, I couldn't help but ease a little, as the still anonymous goldblood had my best interest in mind. Though her motives were unclear, I could at least confide with her slightly. But not completely, she could be leading me to my demise as well. I sat and wondered what she did have in store, and if it was somehow more gruesome than the beatings and flushings in the office I was just in.


	2. Something's On The Move

"We drove for a few Writhes until the goldblood had decided to illicit conversation. The first thing she said was, "What's your name?" taken aback by the fact that she was interested in who I was, I responded with a simple, "Neroph" and she only replied with a simple, "Huh, ok." After that, the rest of the drive was silent, except for still breathing, and the occasional shiver of my gills in the cold buggy. It was cold even for me, a lowblood whose Violet tinted blood had made him resistant to colder temperatures. I didn't ask for the breeze sifter to be lowered though, I wasn't cold enough to risk defiling a Regent. 

We finally stopped at a large and elaborately designed hive stem that seemed to climb on past the clouds and into the high atmosphere. My goldblood host instructed that we were at "her place" and that before we got out and went inside. It was the middle of the night, so naturally it was bustling with people heading to whatever activities they had. Naturally, I was greeted by odd looks by various Highblood trolls passing by, each transfixed with a glare that personified the very element of disgustful disdain itself. Coming upon a counter area, the troll behind the counter had immediately had scoffed and looked away from me. "Look at what the purrbeast dragged in!" he letched, "Pardon my sudden outburst Miss Danoba, but why do you continue to disregard the structure of the time tested Hemospectrum?" 

"Because I can Odrada, let us into my hive already." 

Hmph. How intolerable, letting a bilgebreather into this complex. 

Hey! I timidly squeaked, don’t call me that! 

Oh, this one's got some courage in him, doesn't he? 

Odrada, I swear f you lay even one feeler digit on him, you're going to have to put it up with Reginald. 

You wouldn't dare. 

Try me, she scolded 

I pulled on her jacket, asking "Can we please go?" 

If I’m being perfectly honest, I truly wasn't in the mood for a thrashing from anybody, I think I got my fill at the bloody Police Station. 

Torada then look back at me and then at the clerk. 

Would you like that I report you to the Threshecutioners for impunity against A High Regent? 

The expression on the lads had immediately changed. 

Turning to me with a sour look about him, he said, pardon me sir, truly sorry for any inconveniences I may have given you. The notes of insincerity were clear in his voice, but hey I guess it worked out eventually. 

Here are your keys Miss Danoba, have a good night, and TRY to keep that scoundrel on a short leash. 

Was that so hard? Torada replied in a rather crass tone. 

After that whole affair, we went up the lift chute, and Torada had spoken to me on our way up. 

You're a whaler, aren't you? She asked, noting my appearance. Even during my performance, I hadn't changed out of the 

Well yes, I was. Not anymore. 

Why did you quit? 

I didn’t, I was fired. Didn't have enough muscle to heave and ho like the older gents. 

I can see that, you look very scrawny 

Yeah, I know. 

Get any big game out there? 

Well I did, once. 

It was around 1300, and the crew were battling fierce waves on the seas. We came looking for whale but ended up with a squid. I was the cabin boy at the time, where I worked in the hull stacking packages as I heard the commotion above. The Captain of the ship, a scruffy adult named Barbad had called to me. 

OI SHREW, GIT UR ARSE UP HERE! 

Captain! What is going on! 

IT'S A BIG ONE BOYO! NO DOUBT GUARDIN' ITS TERRITORY! 

A whale? 

NO LAD IF IT WER' A WHALE I WOULDN'T BE CALLIN' YOUR TWIGGY SELF UP! 

Dashing onto the brig, I saw the thing. It was a giant squid Lusus, thrashing about trying to capsize the fishing barge we sailed on. Many trolls armed with mounted harpoons had been lined up to pushing back, firing at will while hoping to aim at the eye to blind it. 

RIGHT NOW! GO AN' GRAB SOME HARPOONS NEROPH, THE MEN NEED EM YESTERDAY! 

Aye-Aye Captain! I dutifully replied, as I hastily ran for the harpoons 

Running about with a bunch of sharp pikes wasn't easy for me, but I kept the launchers stocked and the men firing. It wasn't until when it gripped a giant arm onto the top of the vessel that our stalling tactics worked. 

The Lusus had clung on for dear life, threatening to destroy the boat and swallow the crew whole, me included. 

Captain Barbad gripped the side rails as the barge rocked back and forth on the agitated waves, saltwater washing over everyone as we had no choice, but to hold on. 

Clawing for something, I grabbed a nearby harpoon cannon, not knowing that it was loaded, and as I did, I had inadvertently pulled the trigger. 

PSHOOOOOOO. 

Right into the eye of the beast. 

It unclamped its arm and made a motion towards its newly injured eye. 

I just stood there, dazed. 

WHAT ARE YE DOIN LADDIE? Captain Barbad bellowed, GO REEL IT IN! 

Y-yes sir! 

I reeled it in, the entire weight of the creature against me, I struggled, I pushed, and I gripped the rope as tight as I can. Losing this opportunity, losing this catch would mean no food, no money and no hope for everyone on board. I had to win, I had to struggle. 

Did you? She suddenly interjected. 

Yes. 

The squid violently jerked as it tries to remove the barbs from its eye, until the moment of truth where it lurched back so hard, its massive bleeding eyeball ripped out of the socket, killing it instantly. The overblown looksphere landed onto the barge, violet blood spilling from the tail end of it, while the squid floated lifelessly in the water. 

HOLY SHITE BOYO. The captain muttered. 

I HAVENT SEEN WHALIN LIKE THAT SINCE MY DAYS WITH THE FLYING FISH! 

He slapped me on the back, GOOD WORK LAD! 

NOW! LET’S GET THAT SLIMY WRETCH IN A HARNESS AND BACK TO PORT! 

So, you caught a giant squid? 

Yeah, pretty much. 

Why didn't they keep you around longer? 

They knew that I got lucky, but the tale was tall enough to keep me in their good graces. 

I still got food and shelter after I was employed, and Captain Barbad once came over with a gift. 

What gift was that? 

This. I reached into my uniform pocket and grabbed my Windfife. 

The Fife? 

Yeah, he gave it to me because I gave hope to the entire crew that day? 

IF A WEE SCAMP LIKE NEROPH CAN BAG A SQUID, THEN YE TOO CAN HOIST A WHALE LADDIES! Id often hear him say as they grabbed a whale from the waters whenever I pass by the wharf on an evening stroll. 

Torada simply stood there, taking it all in. 

Wow, she remarked. Sounds to me like we're going to have a lot to talk about. 

You think so? 

Absolutely Neroph, I'd imagine that your life story ought to be interesting. 

The chute bell chimed, and we stepped out into the corridor.


End file.
